Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Torture? Rudman to the Rescue

By Ray McGovernMay 6, 2009

The announcement in mid-March that CIA Director Leon Panetta had picked former Sen. Warren Rudman to act as CIA “liaison” with the Senate Intelligence Committee during its “review” of interrogation and detention practices has drawn virtually no criticism from the Fawning Corporate Media (FCM).

2 comments:

"The FCM, whether from indolence or timidity, have completely missed the boat on Rudman, calling him a “respected” veteran of investigations of national security issues. Does no one do due diligence — or simple homework — anymore?"

To indolence and timidity I would add: duplicity. As in, we are being duped intentionally by Pentagon-directed "influence operations." Your quote of Paul Sullivan is absolutely perfect!

"Previous administrations fought against our veterans because the government wanted to save money and preserve the myth of an easy, cheap Gulf War victory," said Sullivan. "Healthcare and disability benefits for life might well cost over a million dollars for each of the 200,000 Gulf War veterans who are ill — a total price tag in the billions of dollars per year.

"This means the inexpensive, casualty-light Gulf War portrayed by the Pentagon and captive press was actually a very expensive, high-casualty conflict," said Sullivan, who served as a Cavalry Scout during Desert Storm."

It's with myths that we are being jacked to hell like kittens lured into burlap sacks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~QUOTE: [T]he Pentagon is spending at least $4.7 billion this year on “influence operations” and has more than 27,000 employees devoted to such activities. At the same time, Curley said, the military has grown more aggressive in withholding information and hindering reporters. END QUOTE.

[SCOTT HORTON:] The Associated Press’s special report on Pentagon “influence operations” can be read here. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29039384/ The Pentagon’s Public Affairs Office has been one of the last redoubts of the Neoconservatives. Burrowed Bush era figures remain in key positions in the office, which had responsibility for implementation of some of the Rumsfeld Pentagon’s most controversial strategies in which the American public was targeted with practices previously associated with battlefield psy-ops. http://harpers.org/archive/2009/02/hbc-90004359~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Glenn Greenwald has been busting these myths relentlessly lately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Bush administration repeatedly detained and then barred what it perceived to be adversarial foreign journalists from entering the U.S. But the Free Expression warriors on the Right are silent about all of that because "free speech" is just another weapon used to demonize Muslims and justify their animus, not a genuinely held conviction.[...]

This alleged belief in free expression from the Mark Steyn Right magically extends only to those with whom they agree and is easily suspended for their ideological enemies, especially Muslims and those on the left. So transparently, it's just another club they cynically wield to glorify their bottomless animus towards Muslims and aggression in the Muslim world. http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/05/06/free_speech/index.html~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Similarly, Brother Ray, you note that, by the FCM's repetition of the "respected politician" sobriquet, consummate fixer Rudman is being transmogrified right before our eyes.

A recent PEW poll showed that since Obama's obvious attempts to circumvent prosecutions for War Crimes (torture), his favorability ratings for "change" and "trust" have fallen 25 percent from 80 percent to 55 percent. I warned the White House about what would happen in a letter a month ago, but got no reply. Voters are learning that Washington is changing Obama more than he is changing Washington. I predict that in the 2010 Congressionsal elections the Democrats will lose seven to ten seats in the House and three to five seats in the Senate because too many voters, due to Obama's willingness to compromise the law and Constitution just like the Bush administration, will see this president as just another politician who talks the talk but does not walk the walk. If I hold this view, being a staunch Obama supporter, then he is in trouble. The law is the law, Mr. President, and no one is above it, not even elected federal officials - - including yourself. Right now, I could make a strong case in a federal court that you have conspired to obstruct justice and should go to jail. Heaven help you, as your are going to need it.